First Corinthians was written in Ephesus. In writing this Epistle Paul’s intention was to correct and adjust the church in Corinth. That church was in confusion, both in the Christian life and in relation to God’s administration. Paul’s intention was to regulate the Corinthians, rescue them from their distractions, and bring them back to the central lane of God’s economy. When Paul wrote this Epistle, he was enjoying the excellent church life in Ephesus.
The book of Romans was written in Corinth. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul eventually left Ephesus and visited Corinth. As he says in 2 Corinthians, he delayed coming to them because he wanted to spare them and did not want to come in sorrow. But because they repented and were adjusted after receiving his first Epistle, Paul was happy and went to Corinth to see them. While he was in Corinth, he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
Romans is a basic sketch, a governing sketch, of the Christian life and the church life. In this book Paul does not say a word about tongue-speaking or divine healing. He knew from his experience in Corinth how much the church had been damaged by tongue-speaking and by the so-called miraculous healing. At the time, Corinth was a hotbed for such things. Many were extremely enthusiastic about tongue-speaking and ecstatic over the miraculous things. Nevertheless, by these very things the church was ruined, destroyed. Realizing the damage this had caused to the church in Corinth, Paul was very sober when he wrote the book of Romans.
In Romans 12 Paul speaks of the function of the proper gifts in the Lord’s Body. I repeat, here Paul does not say a word concerning tongue-speaking or divine healing. Rather, he stresses having mercy, loving one another, and pursuing hospitality. This indicates that Paul took the lead to belittle tongue-speaking. Paul’s attitude in his completing ministry toward speaking in tongues is to belittle it.
If this is Paul’s attitude in his completing ministry, then what is John’s attitude in his mending ministry? Does John say anything about tongue-speaking, divine healing, or miracles in his first Epistle? No, what he says in this book is based upon his Gospel. In John 7:37-39 John points out that all those who believe in Christ will receive the Spirit and out of their being will flow rivers of living water. This refers not to the Spirit in tongue-speaking or healing, but to the Spirit of life. The believers in Christ will drink the Spirit of life. Then out of their innermost being will flow rivers of living water. This is what John says in his Gospel. In his first Epistle he goes on to speak of the anointing which we have within us. He does not speak of an ointment upon us, but of the anointing within us. Within us we have the Spirit of life, and this Spirit is the ointment with which we are anointed. This ointment is typified in Exodus 30 by the oil compounded with the spices. This anointing is experienced not in a miraculous way, but in a spontaneous way in our daily life. Therefore, from this we see that John is one with Paul in placing no emphasis on tongue-speaking, healing, or miracles.
What does John say concerning the Spirit in Revelation? He does not say anything about tongue-speaking or divine healing, but he does speak of the seven Spirits. According to Revelation 4:5, these seven Spirits are seven lamps shining with something within them. These seven lamps do not shine in a miraculous way. Instead, they shine in a normal way.
In Revelation 4 we have the seven Spirits of God as the seven lamps, but in chapter twenty-two we have the Spirit signified by the river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb to water the New Jerusalem. Once again, nothing is said about tongue-speaking. If tongue-speaking were so important, so crucial, certainly Paul and John would have emphasized it.